POSTAL OFFICIAL’S THEFT

Press, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23202, 13 December 1940, Page 14

POSTAL OFFICIAL’S THEFT

imprisonment for nine MONTHS (PBESB association tbusqbam.) AUCKLAND, December 12. “He has been in Te Awamutu 20 years, was well respected, and had a wonderful reputation for efficiency, said Mr Preston, in appealing for probation for Stephen Granville Riddell, aged 40, a postal official, of Te AwamUtu, who came up for sentence before Mr Justice Fair, in the Supreme Co..rt, for theft, as a servant of the Government, of approximately £SOO. Counsel said that Riddell had worked his way up from messenger to supervisor in the Te Awamutu office. His domestic life had been unhappy, and from a net salary of £5 11s weekly he had to meet £2 15s a week in maintenance. He was not addicted to gambling. , His Honour: No, but it is perfectly clear that on his salary he could not afford to own and run motor-cars, and he persisted in doing so. His Honour said that it was impossible to grant probation. Instead of living within his salary, he had chosen to live comfortably by a series of thefts. Giving full weight to all counsel had said, the least sentence that could be imposed was nine months' imprisonment. THEFT OF LETTERS AUCKLAND OFFICER SENT TO GAOL (FBBSB ASSOCIATION TELBGBAM.) AUCKLAND, December 12. A postal officer of 14 years’ standing, Bert Tattley, aged 31, pleaded guilty in the Magistrate’s Court to two charges of stealing letters addressed to a city firm and a country bank branch, and a third charge of stealing a postal note from a letter. The police read a statement in which Tattley admitted the offences. He said he kept the bank notes and burnt the postal notes and cheques. He thought the total value of the money stolen would be about £3O. He spent it mostly on beer. He did not bet

The police said Tattley was married, with one child. His salary was £320. While the offences were going on over a period, 100 other men employed in the mail-room were under suspicion. Last October another mail sorter was convicted of similar offences. Tattley’s thefts were committed since the other man was placed on probation. After hearing an appeal for leniency by Mr Goldstine, the Magistrate (Mr J. Morling, S.M. said he could not allow sentiment and. feeling for Tattley’s family to prevent him doing his duty to the public. On each of three charges Tattley was sentenced to one month’s imprisonment, the terms to be concurrent ■